Connecticut Lawmakers Move to Limit Town Code Setting Authority

Connecticut Lawmakers Move to Limit Town Code Setting Authority

Connecticut Lawmakers Move to Limit Town Code Setting
Authority

A committee of the Connecticut legislature has unanimously
passed a measure that would prohibit towns in the state from
enforcing code requirements stricter than the statewide
building code, according to a report in the Waterbury
Republican-American
(“
Building code legislation passes through
committee”). The Connecticut Conference of
Municipalities opposes the legislation, reports the paper,
arguing that “state standards should be the floor, not
the ceiling.” The Home Builders Association of
Connecticut strongly supports the bill, the paper said.
The tug-of-war over town code enforcement is likely related
to a state-level battle over fire sprinklers. The state Codes
and Standards Committee has not yet made a final decision about
fire sprinkler requirements in the next version of the building
code, but a subcommittee has decided to delete the IRC
requirement for sprinklers, according to the
Residential Fire Sprinklers page on the Connecticut Home
Builders Association website: “The CT Code Amendment
Subcommittee (CAS) voted 11-2 on October 13, 2010, to exclude
the mandatory fire sprinkler section from the 2009
International Residential Code (IRC), which covers 1 & 2
family home construction. The CAS reports to the full CT Codes
& Standards Committee, which can adopt or reject the CAS
vote.”
But the state legislature is considering a bill that would
mandate sprinklers by law, reports the Hartford Courant
(“
Fire Marshals Builders At Odds Over Bill To Require Sprinklers
In New Homes,” by Daniela Altimari). If the bill
fails and if code authorities also remove the sprinkler
requirement when adopting the new model code, then a law
limiting local adoption of the tougher rule would close off the
last remaining avenue for firefighters, or the sprinkler
industry, to push the requirement.